1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to catalytic coatings for electrodes for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide, and particularly to a catalytic composition for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide that provides metal oxide catalysts for performing the reduction of carbon dioxide, where the metal oxides are supported by multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carbon dioxide is the fourth most abundant gas in the atmosphere. It is naturally available in our atmosphere, but in the last few decades there has been a gradual increase in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The primary reason for the rapid growth of carbon dioxide gas concentration results from the combustion of fossils fuels for power generation, along with vehicle exhaust and emissions from industrial plants. Due to a high population growth rate and the dependency of the human race on fossil fuels, the release of carbon dioxide into the environment is an ever-growing concern, particularly as carbon dioxide is considered a major factor in the greenhouse effect and global climate change.
The first step of CO2 minimization is the separation and capture of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion sources. Conventionally, CO2 capture is implemented by the absorption of CO2 using strong CO2 absorbing agents, such as amines. However, the financial cost of using such processes is very high. Due to the cost-prohibitive nature of such conventional carbon dioxide capture systems, other technologies are presently being explored, such as radiochemical methods, thermo-chemical processes, photochemical and biochemical methods, and also electrochemical methods. Among these various processes, electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction is of the greatest interest due to its relative potential ease of implementation.
Thus far, however, an efficient electrochemical process for the reduction of carbon dioxide has not been found, particularly due to the exotic and costly nature of electrolytic catalyst materials, such as solid polymer electrolyte membranes. It would be desirable to provide a relatively low cost and easy to manufacture electrochemical catalytic compound for the reduction of carbon dioxide.
Thus, a catalytic composition for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide solving the aforementioned problems is desired.